Simon

Hi all, been away for a while but recently got my act together and completed a couple of models. This is apparently a Ford Ranger stepside/flareside: there seems to be some doubt online, but I think this model, based on the F-150 series, was marketed as a Ranger before the smaller Ranger series was introduced. I could be wrong and am happy to be corrected! Built straight from the box, engine bay sealed shut as the kit lacks a firewall/bulkhead and really, I generally display my models with the bonnet/hood closed anyway. My first attempt at sealing decals underneath the lacquer coat, which worked OK apart from where the decals are not 100% flat to the body. I'm not sure if the dark red interior colour is totally realistic, but I liked it so there it is. Thanks for looking.

Hi all, I've been absent from this forum for a while but I recently completed some builds (some progress, amazing! ) which I thought I'd share. I've been visiting fairly often, despite not posting, and really enjoying the quality work on display. This is the old 1953 Ford Pickup, marketed by Round2 with the stock, service and custom options. What a fun kit! I really enjoyed putting this together, and I tried the rubbed-off salt technique to recreate rust. I didn't get it quite right, but I still like it. The various clutter parts in the bed are all rom the kit. I enjoyed this and now I want to build a new stock version, a custom version and maybe more! Thanks for looking.

I agree. First of all olsbooks, thanks for sharing this build. It gave me the inspiration to crack open my own W900 (picked up at Hobby Lobby in Hartford CT) and build it. With work pressure piling up on me, I was so happy to complete my build (totally OOB) in a couple of weekends and a week of evenings. Love your photos too.

Just dusted off my ancient login to agree - lovely builds. OP, I built the Revell version a couple of years ago and blogged about it here: http://modelworksblog.blogspot.co.uk/2014/09/on-bench-citroen-2cv-part-4-finished.html This was a quickie build using cheaply-available tools and paints while my modelling gear was packed up for a house move. Overall I found the Revell kit trouble-free, though on my kit the chrome plating was poor inside the headlamp casings, thus giving a dull headlamp effect. I chose to model a 'pre-owned' vehicle in a typical colour with some wear, though the kit includes decals to recreate the swanky Charleston version if you want to build a posh one ;-)

Hi everybody, long time since I posted here though I have been regularly visiting and enjoying the incredible creativity and workmanship. My modelling activities have been in different directions lately, but as a birthday present for a friend I dug the good old AMT '57 Chevy out of the stash and came up with this. He wanted it black with a subtle custom touch, so here it is. This one is built kerbside, so no photos of the mill. Thanks to a Youtuber called redneck7381 for his tutorial on painting whitewalls. I built one of these back when I was about 16, and enjoyed it just as much as the age of 39 - not the most sophisticated kit but great fun.

Gents, thanks for all your kind comments. It was such fun to build a model using just the paints and tools I bought for the job, like being a beginner again. Nice to hear from you North American chaps who shared some love for the 2CV, and especially from the folks in Europe for whom old 2CVs used to be as common as lamp posts. When did you last see one?

Hi folks, I have not been around for a while as I have not really been building cars, but couldn't resist this 1/24 Citroen 2CV from Revell. My model tools, paints and kits are all packed up while I move house so I was bored, and ended up buying this kit and some new paints and tools! I recommend this kit, the detail and fit is good and you could build it several different ways. I used some Humbrol weathering washes and powders to give it a used look, like a little old battle wagon maybe still in use somewhere in rural France. It's not a show-winning result but for off-the-shelf products, I think the Humbrol stuff is not bad. More build details on my blog. Thanks for looking.

A lovely gasser. There's not one thing you could do to improve that. Paint, wheels and stance all perfect.

Very nice build, as said the lights are a nice touch. The rear lights are particularly good. I think the tool designers for the kit might have failed to appreciate that these 'boxy' BMWs have practically no straight edges on them anywhere! I've never had an E30 (yours looks nice) but I had 2 E28s and those straight lines are not as straight as they look...

I like it! Great colour for a late Fox. I wish we could pick up 1:1 Fox bodies so easily in the UK, a EFI 5.0 coupe or hatchback would be right up my street! Nice build.

Looks tough, I like it! I like the blackened panel lines.

Beautiful. So many subtle details: I love the missing body trim, and the overall stance of the car. Love it.

Lovely outfit, it's a very long time since I saw a Daf like that. It's unusual to see a 6x4 in the UK these days too, which makes me glad to see them in model form. Is that the Revell heavy duty trailer?

Really nice to see a stock sedan for a change. There are lots of subtle details on this Galaxie: you have to look at it for a minute or two to appreciate the sun strip, thin whitewalls and black panel lines. Great paint finish too.

Love the paint job on that 378. Nice trucks.

Looks nice, great paintwork. When I was at school I used to sit in my room in the evenings, building model cars and listening to (then current) ZZ Top's Afterburner and Recycler albums. This is a great model which brings back a different era of hotrods and customs.

Beautiful! Love the seatbelts. I have this kit in my stash, and I have a built Revell 32 Ford in the spares box.... a plan is forming! Thanks for the inspiration.

Looks really nice, I like the wheels and the colour especially.

Beautiful, it looks mean enough to make a freight train turn down a dirt road! Excellent engine bay detailing too.

That's beautiful! A great example of what excellent results can be had from even the oldest kits. Such lovely paintwork, it really sets of the chrome.

Looks great, I really must build one of these big Chevies. As said above, very nice weathering and finish. For plug leads, I use 0.3mm black wire from a hobby store (works out about 1/4" in 1/25 scale).

Gorgeous. I wonder if Harley Earl ever guessed that we would all love his '59 so much in 2013? Excellent paint and finish, I love it.

Hi folks, this Galaxie has been on the bench for about 3 years now. I keep running into problems and losing interest, then eventually I fall back in love with its sharp lines and 60s look and out it comes again! The kit came from Ebay, and when it arrived I could see that the parts were mostly removed from the frame, making it hard to stock-take the parts. It is almost all there, though the metal axles have had to be replaced. I have somehow managed to assemble the car to ride really low on its wheels, which looks cool but was unintentional. It also makes it very hard to close the hood with the firewall in place, so some surgery may be required. Also I need to add thin whitewalls: I was thinking of using a white gel pen, anybody got any better ideas? Paint is some kind of Peugeot metallic bronze, the vinyl roof is Plasti-Kote satin aerosol paint.

I left the hood as it was. In fact, if you look at my blog in my signature, I did a write-up on that car very recently with a couple of pics. The hood seems too wide at the front, and it would require a skilled modeller to reshape it to make it fit better (that's why mine is still box stock!) As for the stripes, I would be tempted to try the paint masking first. If you're not happy with the result, you can always overspray it with body colour and use the decals anyway. The decals will look a bit dark when they are applied over the blue body colour, I expect, which is why I'd try masking the stripes and using nice white paint, plus decals can get tiny bubbles in them which WILL be bright white! You could even spray the white stripes onto the body colour afterwards, I did this with my Roadrunner using white Humbrol enamel aerosol and it is pretty good (apart from my masking, which was hopeless). I have linked an image below, having trouble with pics at the moment. http://s7.postimage.org/v5dqjalsr/rrunner1.jpg Good luck with the Vette, and the exams

I must be C4 fan #8! I don't know how things are on the Emerald Isle, but over here C4s seem to be the only affordable Vettes these days, even the C3 (generally sneered at a few years ago) goes for big money now. I prefer the look of earlier cars with the flat tail panel and sharper front end. I built the AMT 1989 convertible back when it was nearly new, and the hood fit was poor. Your build is looking good so far, the engine looks great and those seats and wheels look ready for the track. What colour are you going for, blue with white stripes?